Golfer’s Elbow

Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is a condition that affects the inner part of the elbow due to overuse. It is very similar to tennis elbow when it comes to causes and symptoms. It is a kind of tendinitis that results in irritation or inflammation of a tendon. The tendon connecting your elbow and wrist goes through small tears because of injury of overuse. When you experience a Golfer’s elbow, you will find it difficult to bend your wrist in direction of the forearm.

The condition of medial epicondylitis puts the wrist and forearm in continual strain. The treatment is determined based on its severity.

Causes

• Sports injury
• Repeated usage of the elbow in the same motion
• Idiopathic

Symptoms

• Swelling
• Unbearable pain while moving the wrist toward the forearm
• Weakened grip strength

Diagnosis

When you see an orthopedician, he will conduct a physical examination along with some imaging tests, as required:

• MRI (to detect soft tissue injury)
• X-rays (to detect bony abnormality)
• EMG (to detect nerve compression)

Treatment

Non-surgical Treatments

Pain-killers: Your doctor may prescribe over-the-counter pain relief drugs, such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen sodium.

Rest: If you are a sportsperson or someone who regularly needs to use hands for work, you must put everything on hold and rest. In case you don’t, the situation may worsen.

Ice packs: The doctor advises to use ice packs on the affected elbow for around 15-20 minutes for 3-4 times a day for weeks.

Braces: To reduce muscle and tendon strain, the orthopedic specialist may give you a counterforce brace to wear on the elbow.

Physical therapy: With help of a physiotherapist, you can practice simple arm and muscle strengthening exercises to get some relief from the pain, inflammation and swelling.

Surgical Treatments

Most of the times, Golfer’s elbow is treated without surgery. However, when the non-surgical treatment procedures do not work in 6-12 months, surgery is the last resort. One of the most common surgical treatments used to treat this condition is the TENEX procedure. It is a minimally invasive process that involves ultrasound radiations to remove the scar tissue in the affected area of the tendon.

Nevertheless, it must always be the orthopedic surgeon’s call to decide the mode of treatment. So, get in touch with us for reliable diagnosis and treatment options.